Applicant Eligibility
This is a festival celebrating films made completely by teen filmmakers. Any high school student (grades 9 - 12) can submit films. This includes all students in public school, private school, or homeschool. The members of your cast and crew must be primarily high school students. If you have graduated from, or are not currently attending, high school in the US or Canada, you are not eligible.
The applicant should be the filmmaker (or one of the filmmakers on a joint project). The applicant may also be an instructor or parent of the filmmaker submitting on the filmmaker's behalf. An applicant may submit a maximum of two (2) separate films.
Director(s)
The filmmaker is the director of the film. If it was a joint project, you can include up to two names on a film as director, but one person needs to be identified as the main contact. Awards will only be given to up to two people involved in the creation of the film (the main contact and one other person indicated).
Film Eligibility
Your film must have been completed within the last two years, be no longer than 13 minutes (including the credits), and not have been previously submitted to Phantoscope.
All genres are welcome, but the work must be original and creative material. Adaptations of books, stories, poems, etc. are allowed, but blatant plagiarism will result in disqualification. Spoofs and satires are also permitted. Use your creativity and vision when writing/filming to convey the story you are telling.
Although the Richmond Art Museum and the Phantoscope Film Committee are not advocating the censorship of creativity, remember that this is a competition of high school filmmakers. Any material deemed by the jurors obscene, gratuitous or inappropriate will be automatically eliminated from the competition. If you attempt to address tough or controversial subject matter, keep in mind your audience, and handle your writing, editing, and filming with care.
Judging
A panel of judges is selected by the RAM Film Committee to jury Phantoscope. Films will be judged on originality, creativity, technical quality, editing, screenplay, acting and overall success of the piece in conveying its main idea or theme. Awards are determined by the judges.
Fine Print
The Richmond Art Museum/Phantoscope High School Film Festival do not assume any responsibility for damage or loss of materials submitted. All materials submitted become property of The Richmond Art Museum/Phantoscope and will not be returned. The Richmond Art Museum/Phantoscope reserve the right to alter the festival timetable, prizes, or any other details contained in this prospectus as necessary, and to use material submitted for publicity and promotion of the Museum and/or the Festival in print, online, or via any other means.